Yangon Provides Fitting Backdrop to the Pioneering Spirit of Scaling Across Borders

(Yangon) 21OCTOBER 2016 –Telenor Group, on November 1-2, will launchDigital Winners Asia, its first-ever regional startup event, which blends the creativity, energy and expertise of nine of the region’s up-and-coming startups in a two-day platform designed to enable participants to achieve scale across markets.The event sources some of the top start-up talent from Telenor Group businesses’ leading accelerator programs across Asia, including in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. The event will take place in Yangon, Myanmar, a city seen as an emerging player in Asia’s technology scene.

Starter skills and starter funds to scale across borders

With a theme focused on breaking down borders to access new markets, Digital Winners Asia will bring nine startups and top-tier speakers together over the course of two days in Yangon to build and exercise the right skills, knowledge and tools to tackle digital business opportunities across markets. The format of the event will consist of a mix of keynote discussions from across the start-up and venture capital communitiesand focused case preparation sessions, in which startup teams will prepare to pitch for 100,000 Norwegian Kroner in initial expansion funds on the closing day of the event.

Keynotes speeches and market insight sessions will be given by leaders in market expansion and entrepreneurship in the region, such as Google, Golden Gate Ventures and Telenor Group’s Head of Product and Innovation, Gunnar Sellaeg.

“Establishing Digital Winners in Asia is a natural move for Telenor since we experience strong growth in the region, and we believe there is a great innovation and entrepreneurial spirit growing here,” said Gunnar Sellaeg. “The startups participating in this inaugural event represent the best of the best from our market-led accelerator programs and we are excited to build this platform for the next stage of their growth.”

Handpicked startups

The nine teams attending Digital Winners Asia consist of current and past participants of Telenor’s five startup incubation and acceleration programs across the region. Each company has been selected based on the company’s life-cycle and potential to break into to new markets, as well as grow alongside Telenor.
Two representatives from each company will participate in Digital Winners Asia.

Technologies to seamlessly integrate social media sales with social network platforms (www.myanzen.com)

Pakistan

5. EcoEnergy

Technologies to facilitate the spread of sustainable electricity, specifically to rural locations (www.ecoenergyfinance.org)

6. Edjunction

Mobile communication platform bridging the gap between parents, teachers, students and the schools (www.f6s.com/edjunction)

7. ForiMazdoori

ForiMazdoori, along with the vast telecom-retailer-network, is setting up registration points where blue collar workers can walk-in and register on an employment database. Once registered, the workers are searchable via ForiMazdoori apps and website. (https://twitter.com/forimazdoori)

Thailand

8. Skootar

Delivery startup connecting SMEs with scooter messengers and making the delivery process efficient and cost-effective. (www.skootar.com)

9. TakeMeTour

Online platform with access to largest collection of 1-day tours in Thailand (www.takemetour.com)

A frontier market for pioneering startups

Anewcomer to the global technology community, Myanmar,with its unprecedented rates of technological evolution,provides the perfect backdrop to Digital Winners Asia. Insight from regional as well as local experts supplemented with Telenor’s own operational experience as one of the first private telecommunications companies to enter the Myanmar market, further underscore the purpose of Digital Winners Asia in helping upstart tech companies expand into new frontiers.

Digital Winners Asia 2016 will kick off November 1-2 in Yangon, Myanmar. For more information on how Telenor works with start-ups, as well as the Digital Winners Asia event, visit: planet.telenor.com as the event date approaches.

The Digital Winners platform began as the Nordic region’s premier gathering of leaders and innovators in media, technology and communications. It attracts global thought leaders and top entrepreneurs. Per Telenor’s expanding customer base in Asia and increased operations across the Region, Digital Winners Asia leverages the expertise and prestige of the Digital Winners, tailoring the platform to the unique opportunities and challenges of the growing region.

Media Contacts

About Telenor Group

Telenor Group is one of the world’s major mobile operators with #MoreThan200 million subscribers. Our 36,000 employees across 13 countries in Europe and Asia work each day to provide connectivity and to make a real difference for people, business and society.